Cabbage Looper vs Small Brown Planthopper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cabbage Looper Small Brown Planthopper
Scientific Name Trichoplusia ni Laodelphax striatellus
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Noctuidae Delphacidae
Size 33-38 mm wingspan 2-4 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Sap Feeders
Regions North America, Europe, Asia East Asia, Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Cabbage Looper

A pale green caterpillar that moves in a distinctive looping motion and feeds on brassica crops. The adult moth has a silvery figure-eight marking on each forewing.

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Did You Know?

It was the first insect to develop resistance to the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis in greenhouse settings.

Small Brown Planthopper

A tiny brown-striped delphacid planthopper that vectors rice stripe virus and rice black-streaked dwarf virus. It has a characteristic spur on its hind tibiae typical of delphacids.

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Did You Know?

Unlike tropical rice planthoppers, this species can overwinter in temperate regions, surviving cold winters as nymphs in grass tussocks.